


Do it for the Honey and the Cookies too

by makingitwork



Series: Bughead Prompts [19]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: AU, Best Friends, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Oblivious Jughead, SO MUCH FLUFF, baking betty, bee keeper betty, bughead - Freeform, pining Jughead, pining betty, preslash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-15 01:24:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15401895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makingitwork/pseuds/makingitwork
Summary: When Betty rings him up and gushes over her latest Archie-plan, Jughead just knows he's in for a long day.





	Do it for the Honey and the Cookies too

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy, sweethearts!

" _Jughead!"_ Betty squealed into the phone, and Jughead winced, blinking blearily as he sat up in his dark room. He reached over to pick up his watch and squinted at the time. He groaned loudly. 

"Betty," he sighed around a yawn, staggering out of bed and making his way through his apartment and towards the kitchen. "Do you know it's 5 am? The rest of the world isn't charged by rainbows and sunshine the way you are." 

_"Jug, listen! This is serious, I have the-"_

He frowned as a strange, static-like buzz drifted through the receiver. He pulled his phone away from his ear and looked at it, but everything seemed fine. He pushed it back to his ear and turned the volume up. "Betty? The call cut off, I think?" He flicked the light switches and winced again at the brightness. "You've gone and disrupted my sleep cycle now. I'm gonna be hungry all day." 

_"You're always hungry all day,"_ came the fond reply, and Jughead frowned. He could still hear the buzzing. 

"Betty," he said slowly, setting down the mug he'd fished out of the cupboard. "Where are you?" 

_"Ah, well you see, Juggie, that's why I called. I have a new plan to win Archie!"_

Jughead massaged his temples. "I have a very bad feeling, Betty. Is this gonna be like the kitten fiasco?" 

Her voice was sour.  _"It's going to be nothing like the kitten fiasco. And we are not calling it the kitten fiasco. Please, please, please! I'm sending you my location, you'll come over, right?"_

He pushed the button on the kettle, and on second thought, just unplugged it. "I'll be right over. But I have a bad feeling about this. I still have the scars from those absurdly sharp kitten claws."

_"I love you, Juggie! See you in a bit!"_

After she hung up, he looked around his dark apartment and groaned loudly; cursing his love for his best friend as he staggered towards the wardrobe, rather than the bed like he so wanted. 

 

It was far too sunny for 5:30am, and Jughead capped his hand over his eyebrows to peer up at the development. The buzzing was loud now, and as he rounded the corner, following the gps on his phone, he stopped and burst out laughing. Betty turned towards him, hands on her hips and a fond expression on her face. "Wow. I was going to say nothing could justify waking me at five am, but this..." he swept his hand to gesture to her "...this really takes the biscuit." He was smiling so hard it hurt as he took her in. She was kitted out in a white bee keeper suit, that shone obnoxiously in the light, white boots and yellow gloves; a veil covering her face as it fell from a white hat. She rolled her eyes at him. 

"Go on, laugh it up. Get it all out of your system." 

He wiped tears from the corner of his eyes, and walked towards her, still chuckling. "I didn't know you were so keen on bees, Betty. Have you always  _beeee_ n?" He reached forward to tweak her nose through the veil, and she swotted his hand away. He lifted his hands in mock-surrender. "Alright, alright, I'm done. Hope my remarks didn't sting too bad." 

He yelped when she pinched his shoulder, and spent the next few minutes rubbing it forlornly. 

"This is my plan." Betty beamed, all sunshine and smiles, gesturing to the bustling, half developed fields. There were boxes and hives everywhere, and Jughead wondered briefly whether he should be wearing a protective suit too. "I'm going to woo him with fresh honey." 

Jughead stared at her blankly. 

"Fresh honey, Jug," she repeated slowly, as if talking to an imbecile. "Archie loves honey, and he'll come to associate honey with me, and then he'll-"

"-Love you," Jughead finished, raking his fingers through his hair. "I get it, Betty, it's...genius." He said wryly, softening his tone at her pout. He reached out to cup her cheek through the meshing in a moment of comfort, before dropping his arm. "It's just...all this, really? You're going to become a beekeeper for Archie Andrews?" He couldn't keep the incredulity out of his voice, but he wasn't sure why. He'd seen Betty do a vast number of insane things to capture the ever-elusive red head. He fell into a slow stroll beside her, as she led them up a trail towards a greenhouse. 

"It's not just for him," she said, half shrugging. "I've always likes bees, and nature. It's an opportunity to do something outside of my comfort zone. Besides, it's really fun." 

Jughead eyed the black and yellow demons with suspicious eyes. "Really?"

She knocked him with her shoulder, and he exaggerated his stumble to make her laugh. "I'm serious, Jug. I was thinking you could do it with me?" 

"Oh, Betty," he sighed, tugging off his plaid shirt. It was also far too warm for this early in the morning. Curse summer, he thought to himself. He much preferred winter. Where he could wear his beanie, and a hundred layers, and stay inside all day with his laptop. He shoved it into his bag, and leaned into the breeze as it went through his thin t-shirt. "You know I love you, but that sounds horrible. I can't get up at this time everyday. I'll die." 

She snorted, reaching up carefully to duck her yellow-clad fingers into her protective head gear and tighten her ponytail. "But we always have so much fun! And best friends are supposed to back the other one up. Even on all their stupid plans." 

He sighed loudly, but nodded as he peaked up at the sky. It was irritatingly clear and blue. "I can deny you nothing, Cooper, I suppose that's true. Besides, you look rather fetching in that bulky, unflattering white getup. Mmm." 

She whacked his arm in the same spot she'd pinched it, and ran away. He raced after her with a yell and a smile. 

 

Five am's were becoming more friendly to Jughead. 

They no longer seemed to loathe him as much as they had before. And Betty always gave him some of the honey to take home, and he was getting pretty good at crooning to the bees as he slid out the receptacles. Lila, a sick queen from near the back of the honey-farm, was his favourite. And whenever he delved in to dislodge a stuck piece of hardened honey, she'd rub against his fingertips and not sting him. Unlike Jerry. Jughead fucking hated Jerry. 

And Betty, when on a mission, was a thing of beauty. As always. He shook his head with a small smile, as he drained one of the plastic tubs in the blessed cool of the shadowed green house. Archie Andrews was a fool. He'd thought it before, and he'd think it until Archie finally opened his eyes and saw Betty for the treasure she was. The smell of honey soothed his senses, and as he finished the batch, he tugged his gloves off, and pushed up his veil, just in time to see Betty walk in forlornly. 

He frowned, and walked up to her, finger under her chin and tipping her face upwards. "What's wrong?" He murmured, and she sighed, nuzzling into his palm. 

"Archie's got a new girlfriend." She mumbled, half muffled by his hand. He closed his eyes, pained by her pain, and he could feel her lashes against his fingers. "I'm so stupid."

That had his eyes opening, and he dropped his hand from her face to clutch her shoulders. "No, you aren't, Betty. He's stupid. Stupid that he can't see how amazing you are."

She half smiled, but her eyes were sad, and he slumped.

"C'mon, bee girl, let's get out of here. McDonald's do early bird breakfasts. My treat." 

She didn't say anything, so he nudged her a little. 

"I'll even let you steal my fries." 

Her smile was small, but more genuine than before. She nodded, and her ponytail bobbed with the movement. "Okay." She said quietly, and he swung his arm over her, holding her together so she wouldn't fall apart. 

They ended up getting McDonalds to go, and ate in Jughead's apartment whilst watching Love Actually, and Betty cried into his shoulder. He rubbed her back until her sobs became hiccups, and her hiccups became snores, and her breaths gentled into sleep. He rested his cheek on her soft hair, and browsed the channels leisurely. He had half a mind to take Betty's phone and message Archie, give him a piece of his mind, but he decided against it. It would exacerbate things. He fell the familiar pull of sleep, and his lips tugged up when he realised that Betty smelt of honey; sweet and fresh, cosy and familiar. 

 

He woke up to gooey, chocolate chip cookies and a blanket nestled over him. 

Let it be said that being best friends with Betty Cooper was fantastic. He reached over and grabbed one off the plate, it was still warm and he popped it into his mouth, chewing contentedly, when the sound of his bedroom door clicking shut caught his attention. He grinned at the sight of Betty; looking markedly better than this morning. The afternoon sunshine lit her up, and she'd clearly showered. She was in one of his s t-shirts and underwear, that hung on her like shorts, and her hair was down and damp over one shoulder. It was a common sight for when she was hurting over another Archie-escapade that hadn't unfolded well, but he liked that the redness of her eyes was gone. "Hey, lil bee," he murmured, voice thick with sleep and chocolate. "These are amazing, as usual." 

She didn't reply, and he pushed himself further up the couch to see her clutching something in her hand. 

"Betty?" He prompted; worried now. Had Archie messaged something that had hurt her?

"I was um..." she cleared her throat, eyes fixed on him. "I was looking for some socks, and I- in one of your drawers..." she unfolded her hand, but he couldn't see what was in it. A feeling of dread started creeping up on him. Oh god, what had she found? He didn't think he owned anything incriminating but maybe he'd forgotten some awful long harboured secret. He swung over the back of the couch and padded towards her, and blinked confusedly when he saw the mixture of shells and beads on the string. 

"Yeah?" He said, scratching his arm. "What? You gave it to me." 

Betty swallowed hard, not blinking, as her wide blue eyes stayed focused on his. "Jug, I made this for you." 

"Yeah I know," he was getting worried now, and cocked his head as he examined her. "Are you alright, Betts?" 

"What do you remember about this bracelet?" She demanded, and he blinked in surprise. 

"Uh...you made it for me in like the 4th grade? It's our best friend bracelet, but I'm pretty sure you lost yours about ten years ago. It's been in the drawer forever," he waggled his hands at her. "Doesn't fit anymore, I'm afraid," he said ruefully, a smirk on his lips, and she laughed; a little wetly. 

She looked down at the small friendship bracelet in her hands, and turned it over gently, stroking her fingers over it. "You kept it," she whispered. "I...I'd forgotten I even made it, but you kept it." 

He snorted, rolling his eyes and turning back for the cookies. She was clearly just in a nostalgic mood. "I keep everything you give me, Betty," he said honestly, picking up the plate. "What was I gonna do? Throw it out?" He picked up three and shoved them into his mouth in one go; moaning at the crunch. When he turned to look back at her, she was clutching the bracelet to her chest, and looked very small, suddenly, in his clothes. He set down the plate, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Hey," he said softly, "stay the night, alright? Have the bed, I'll crash here, and then in the morning we can drive down to Seaside? I'll even go on that merry-go-round you love and won't complain at all." 

There was something he didn't recognise shining in the sky blue of her eyes, but her smile was just as sincere and happy as he liked, so he chalked it up to her memories of a younger Betty and Jughead; arguing with the teacher so they could be field trip buddies on the bus. He opened his arms invitingly as she came back towards the couch, and laughed as she tickled his ribs before settling onto his chest. 

"Pizza and Star Wars?" He asked, reaching for the remote, and he could feel her laughter through his torso. 

"You've got cookies!"

"And you've got a bad memory if you think that'll sate this stomach." He snorted, using his freehand to brush the curls out of her face. He could feel her cheek curved up in a smile, and gave himself a mental pat on the back for being such a good friend. 

 

"So," Jughead began, laying out the towel on the sand as the sun beat down onto his back. They'd found a good spot near the water, their two towels beside each other and the picnic hamper and cooler at the top. "What's the newest Archie plan? Are we gonna pull the classic: I pretend to be your boyfriend?"

Betty was smoothing suncream over her arms, and he took a moment to admire the smooth cream of her skin. They'd stopped off at Walmart on the trip, and he hummed appreciatively.

"You got a new swim suit?"

She blushed, half nodding. "Yeah, I thought it was time for a new one."

"Looks good."

"Thanks, Juggie," she grinned, patting the towel beside her, and he laughed, flopping down onto the sand. It felt good to just lie there and stew for a while; the sun beating down onto him. "As for the Archie plan, I'm thinking of giving it a rest for a while. He seemed really happy when he talked about Veronica. They sound like a forever sort of thing." Jughead was pleased to note she didn't sound as sad as she could have, and he dug his elbows into the sand. The sun was heating up the soles of his feet and he waggled his toes at the rare feeling. The smell of the sea was strong and appealing, and he was glad they'd headed out. The merry-go-round later would be a small price to pay for the sun and the sea, and his girl by his side. "Maybe I should take some time away from all that." 

"If that means more time with me, then I am all for it," he said easily, eyes closed. "Ol' Juggie's never going anywhere. You're stuck with me for life." 

He startled when a cold object pressed against his hands, and he blinked against the sun to see Betty turned away from him. "Do my back?" She asked, a smile in her voice. He rolled his eyes, sitting up and squirting some of the blue liquid into his palm. 

"Oh sure. Treat me like your slave."

She reached up to tie her hair into a bun; revealing the back of her neck and the slope of her shoulders. His eyes lingered over the skin, and the thin strap of the bikini, before smearing the suncream onto her skin. She leaned into his touch, and he took his time as he rubbed it in. "I don't think you could be anyone's slave, Juggie," she said teasingly, "besides, I made every single sandwich in that hamper."

"Only because you're so good at it." He sniped back quickly, "how am I supposed to compete when you bake your own bread? You put me to shame."

Her skin was soft as sin under his hands, and after she was covered he wiped the residue onto his knees and looked out onto the ocean. It was relatively human-free, and he didn't mind the thought of going for a quick dip later. "Your turn." Betty's soft voice called him from his thoughts, and he turned in surprise to see her shaking the bottle. He rolled his eyes, and shook his head, but at her look, obligingly turned around. 

"You're feeling guilty today, aren't you? You've never put suncream on me before." 

"Well," she said, as he leaned into her deft hands, "you have been an extra excellent best friend recently. It would be remiss not to reward you, or to show you how much you mean to me," he wanted to purr as she pushed the liquid into his shoulders- her nails scratched down his back here and there, and he groaned low in his throat. Her nails caught again, and he could feel the redness pushing to his cheeks. 

He leaned away from her slightly, so the pressure of her hands lessened. "I am still a man you know, Betty, so if a beautiful woman starts... _giving me attention,_ well...there are children at this beach, you know. And I've rather liked my prison-free life, so far." She didn't reply, and he went to turn around, when her hands slid up his shoulders to his neck. And then suddenly her body was pressed against him, and her hands were coming down his chest, and her chin was hooked over his shoulder. His heart stuttered uncertainly, and he turned his face marginally to look at her.

They were so close he could count the freckles on her cheek. 

"Uh...B-Betty?" He asked; voice hoarse. Her breasts were flush against him, and he could feel the rise and fall of her breath. 

Her hair tickled his arms, and she angled a small, sweet kiss to his jaw. It sent shivers down his spine, and he swallowed hard. "Thank you for being such a great best friend," she whispered, "I don't know how I'd go without you." 

He relaxed, reaching an arm around to cup her head. He knocked their noses together. "You keep me sane in this crazy world, Cooper. C'mon, let's go for a swim." He nodded to the ocean, standing up and offering her his hand. She took it eagerly, and they rushed into the cold water.

 

If he didn't know better, he'd have started thinking Betty had a crush on him. 

She was over a lot more now, which could be explained by her lack of Archie-plans, but she'd taken to meeting him outside work, and accompanying him on his midnight excursions to the Cheesecake Factory. She stayed over most nights, and had insisted that sharing a bed was just fine; so more often then not, he woke up wrapped around her. He'd thought it would be awkward, but...it hadn't been. 

Maybe this was the next stage of friendship, he thought to himself, as he added chopped nuts to the spaghetti. Maybe this was another level of closeness that could only be achieved after having each other's backs for twenty years. He didn't mind at all, really. He was a man of simple pleasures and didn't need much to be happy; good food and Betty in his life led to pretty much contentment. He wanted for nothing, and hoped she felt the same. But of course, she couldn't could she? She'd longed for Archie for as long as he could remember. But then again, she hadn't talked about him for a while now. Maybe she was planning something big. Maybe he'd wake up one of these days to see her present him with an a3 binder full to bursting with different plans and ideas. 

Just as he was plating up their dinner, the door opened and Betty bustled in. She was in a white tank top and short blue skirt, and he let his eyes roam over her figure. It was certainly far too hot for her usual attire, and she looked good in the summer clothing. She sighed; relieved at the cool apartment and he smiled to himself; happy he'd turned on the ac, even though he preferred it a little hotter, and set the table for them. "You're just in time, sweetie," he called teasingly, and Betty laughed, setting down her bag and skipping over to the table. "How was work, honey pie?" 

"Just fine," she said breezily. "How was your day, sweetums?" 

He snorted, shooting her a fake glare. "Do I look like a sweetums?" 

"Do I look like a honey pie?" 

"Actually..."

She swotted his arm, and beamed at the sight of their dinner. "Spaghetti! I love spaghetti." 

"I even added those disgusting pistachio nuts that you love." He announced proudly, pouring them both some orange juice and pushing her glass towards her. He dug into his food; ravenous as usual, and it was only when he shoved a particularly large meat ball into his mouth, that he realised she had yet to touch hers. "Ntgod?" He asked, grinning when she laughed in disgust. He worked his jaw a few times, before swallowing and taking a breath. He motioned to her plate with his fork. "Not good?" 

She shook her head, hair crimped from the heat. "Delicious." She said quietly, though she hadn't eaten any of it. 

"Aren't you hungry?" He frowned, setting down his own cutlery. "Or for something cold? I bought that low fat strawberry ice cre-"

"I'm not hungry for food, Jughead."

He turned his eyes away from the freezer, and they swivelled to her; confused. "Oh." She stared at him, and he floundered. She was trying to tell him something without saying it. He tried to rack his brain. Had she had a meeting today? Was it an anniversary of some sort? He stared back at her helplessly, and she stood up slowly, one hand going to the zip of her skirt. 

"I said," she began, one hand unzipping it slowly. "I'm not hungry for  _food."_

He was struggling now. "Do you want a drink?" But he'd already poured her orange juice. He was wondering whether or not he could withstand running through this heat to get the sparkling water she liked, when a soft thud drew his attention back to her. 

Her skirt was on the floor in a pool around her ankles. She stood before him in her white tank top and white underwear, her long smooth legs up for display. He dragged his eyes up from the tantalising sight of her hipbones to her face to be polite, but saw the emotion in her eyes. He'd never seen it there before. It looked a lot like...

like  _lust._

But- it couldn't-

"Take me to bed, Juggie," she beseeched, holding one hand out for him. 

Half wondering if he was in a parallel universe; he scrambled out of his seat and stumbled towards her, enthralled. "Betty, I-"

She cut him off with a searing kiss, and words were forgotten. The way she slotted into his arms, completed him, was both a surprise and also a known inevitability. He held her cherishingly, and she tangled her fingers into his hair with all the passion of someone who'd been denied something for far too long. They fell into bed together, and then tripped into marriage; never parting even for a moment. 

The friendship bracelet lay, unforgotten, in their chest of drawers. Right beside Betty's engagement ring. 

**Author's Note:**

> Mwah mwah comment/prompt whichever whatever i love you 
> 
> also: would love to do a disney au: any ideas/recommendations? 
> 
> xx


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